Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales
If you’re looking for some fun, free entertainment for the entire family in Gatlinburg, TN then the Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales may provide a solid evening’s worth of fun. Throughout the entire Summer (from June 8 to September 2) the streets come alive from 5:30pm - 11pm with all sorts of characters! You’ll find people clogging, playing “mountain” instruments, telling stories, singing songs, and inviting you to experience the unique history of authentic Appalachian entertainment.
Along the parkway there will be approximately 14 different acts lasting 15 minutes each throughout the evening. It shouldn’t be difficult finding these performers…just look for the circles of crowds! Along with these performers, be on the lookout for a black bear! Well…sort of. It’s Zeno the Gatlinburg “mascot” so-to-speak, which you have probably seen in Gatlinburg’s marketing campaigns. Zeno loves to hug and get his picture taken with your family…just don’t feed him! For anyone worried about a black bear on the streets, it’s just a person in a costume…just don’t tell your kids. But to help you tell the difference…the fake bear walks on 2 feet and real bears walk on 4…so don’t go up hugging real bears and trying to get your picture taken! 
More information about Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales in Gatlinburg, TN can be found on the official Gatlinburg website at the following link:
http://eventsgatlinburg.com/event_detail.aspx?id=3
and
List of characters
http://www.gatlinburg.com/top10funthings/gatlinburg-smoky-mtn.asp
Sneak Peak Video
This event sounds so enjoyable. I thought I had read earlier that it would be going on when we visited the end of May. I was disappointed to learn it will not have started yet.
We will be visiting around the middle of June. This will make for a very enjoyable evening along the streets of Gatlinburg. Walking along the shops is a neat experience. This will only add to the excitement.